Power-propelled sled.



A. REIOHENSTEIN. POWER PROPELLED SLED. APPLICATION FILED JULY 20, 1911.

Patented Apr. 23, 1912.

3 SHEETSSHEET 1.

A. RBIGHENSTEIN.

POWER PROPELLED SLED.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 20, 1911.

Patented Apr.'23, 1912.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

dww a A. REIOHENSTEIN.

POWER PROPELLED SLED.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 20, 1911.

Patented Apr. 23, 1912.

3 SHEETSSHE ET 3.

COLUMBIA PLANDGRAPN c0.. WASHINGTON, n. cy

AARON REICHENSTEIN, 0F MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA.

P'OWER'EROPELLED SLED.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed July 20, 1911.

Patented Apr. 23, 1912.

Serial No. 639,485.

T 0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, AARON REIOHEN- STEIN, a citizen of the UnitedStates, residing at Minneapolis, in the county of Hennepin and State ofMinnesota, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inPower-Propelled Sleds; and I do hereby declare the following to be afull, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enableothers skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use thesame.

My invention has for its object to provide an improved power propelledsled and, to this end, it consists of the novel devices and combinationsof devices hereinafter described and defined in the claims.

In the drawings which illustrate the invention, like characters indicatelike parts throughout the several views.

Referring to the drawings, Figure 1 is a side elevation of the improvedsled; Fig. 2 is a rear end elevation of the same with some partsremoved. Fig. 3 is a vertical section taken on the line :0 m of Fig. 2;Fig. 4 is a detail view, on an enlarged scale, taken through one of thepropelling arms on the line 00 w of Fig. 3; Fig. 5 is a plan view of theparts shown in Fig. 3; and Fig. 6 is a detailed view in vertical sectiontaken on the line m 00 of Fig. 5.

The numeral 1, indicates the body portion of the sled and which, asshown, is spring mounted on a front sled 2 and a rear sled 3. The frontsled 2 is pivotally connected at 4 to the front bolster 5 and may besteered by any suitable means (not shown). Thus far the parts describedmay be of any suitable construction.

The numeral 6, indicates a horizontal and transversely extended drivingshaft mounted in suitable bearings 7 secured to the under side of thesled body 1 and located be tween the two sleds 2 and 3. In actualpractice, the driving shaft 6 will be driven by a suitable motor (notshown). Extending parallel to the driving shaft 6 is a verticallymovable crank shaft 8, the ends of which work through longitudinallyextended slots 9 formed in a pair of vertically extended tubularguide-columns 10. These guide-columns are rigidly secured at their lowerends, one to each of the runners of the rear sled 3. The ends of thecrank shaft 8 which project through the slots 9 and into theguide-columns 10 are rotatively mounted in sliding bearings 11 mountedfor vertical movements in the guide-columns 10. The bottom of the slots9 act as stops to limit the downward movement of the crank shaft 8 andnormally support the same. The bearings 11 are yieldingly presseddownward by means of coiled springs 12 compressed between the upper endsof said bearings 11 and adjusting plugs 13 which adjusting plugs arescrewed into the upper ends of the columns 10.

Motion is imparted to a crank shaft 8 from the driving shaft 6 by meansof a sprocket chain 14 which runs over a pair of alined sprocket wheels15 and 16, secured respectively to the intermediate portions of thedriving shaft 6 and the crank shaft 8.

Reach rods 17 are secured at their for- Ward ends to the bolster 5 andtheir rear ends terminate in bearings 17* in which is rotatively mountedthe crank shaft 8. These reach rods 17 hold the crank shaft 8 againstlateral movement, but permit a limited vertical movement thereof. Therewill be enough flexibility in the reach rod 17 to permit a limitedvertical movement to the crank shaft 8, but, if found necessary, theforward ends of the reach rods may be pivotally connected to the bolster5.

Propelling arms 18 are loosely mounted at their intermediate portions oncranks 19 formed in the crank shaft 8. These cranks 19 are arranged inpairs, located one pair near each end of the crank shaft 8, just insideof the guide-columns 10. The members of each pair of cranks 19 projectin opposite directions the purpose of which will presently appear.Segmental road engaging propelling heads 20 are secured to the lowerends of the propelling arms 18 and are provided on their under surfaceswith a plurality of downwardly projecting barbs or teeth 21 adapted tobe forced into the snow or ice under the action of the propelling arms18 and form a base of resistance therefor.

Normally the crank shaft 8 is so positioned as to bring the propellingheads 20 into proper engagement with the road, but if any unevenness inthe road is engaged by said propelling heads, the crank shaft 8 willyield and permit the propelling heads 20 to pass over any unevennesswithout undue strains or jars.

Secured to and resting upon the rear end portions of the reach rods 17,adjacent to and extending parallel with the crank shaft 8, is a thrustbar 22. This thrust bar 22 is provided with a pair of laterally spacedand rearwardly projecting bearings 23 in which the crank shaft 8 is alsorotatively mounted. Integrally formed on the thrust bar 22, is a pair oflaterally spaced lugs 2%., the purpose of which will presently appear.

For the purpose of taking up any jar or shock as the propelling heads 20are suc cessively brought into engagement with the road, yielding thrustdevices are interposed between the free upper ends of the propellingarms 18 and the lugs 24. These thrust devices comprise approximatelyhorizontally extended nut equipped bolts 25 having bifurcated headswhich are pivotally secured to the free upper ends of the propellingarms 18. The intermediate portions of the bolts 25 are slidably mountedin perforations formed in the lugs 24. Compressed between a stopshoulder on the bolts 25 and the lugs 24 are coiled springs 26 throughwhich the bolts25 are passed.

The above described device while very simple, is thought to be eflicientfor the purpose had in view.

hat I claim is 1. In a power propelled sled, the combination with a pairof guides secured to said sled, of vertically movable, downwardly springpressed bearings mounted in said guides, a crank shaft carried by saidbearings and means for driving the same, propelling arms secured to thecranks of said crank shaft and having road engaging heads, and yieldingthrust connections between said sled and said propelling arms,substantially as described.

2. In a power propelled sled, the combination with a driving shaft, of ayieldingly mounted crank shaft carried by said sled,

driving connections between said driving shaft and said crank shaft,propelling arms secured to the cranks of said crank shaft and havingtooth equipped road engaging heads, reach rods connecting said crankshaft to said sled, a thrust bar carried by said reach rods, andyielding thrust connections between said propelling arms and said thrustbar, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

AARON REICHENSTEIN. Witnesses:

HARRIET A. CREW, HARRY D. KILGORE.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents Washington, D. C.

